Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-04-08
Stock in the Spring.
Cor. American Dairyman.

AS the quantity of food gets low in the
spring there seems to be a natural incli-
nation to stint stock, and especially as
the prospect for grass in the pastures be-
gins to show. 1t seems hardly good
economy to allow the stock to begin to
fail after feeding them all winter. Yet
this Is exactly what a very considerable
number of farmers do every spring.
They commence in the fall with the stock
in very good condition, and with sufii-
Gent quantity of feed. if properly fed
out, to secure steady gain of the stock
all winter. But during the cold DAYS in
the winter they become careless, and by
spring the amount of feed in hand runs
low, and they stint the stock Ia order TO
make what they have carry the stock
through. There are two remedies for
this, one in more careful feeding during
the winter, and the other is that then,
rather than allow the stock to begin to
fail, to puSchase feed. | never like to ad-
wise purchasing food to any great extept.
1t always seemed to me that the farm
ought to be made to raise a sufficient
quantity of food to keep the stock in a
good thrifty condition, and if you have
more stock than feed the surest plan is
to sell off portion in the fall rather
jHdh W the FISK Oh DtlHE ODllgSu TO
purchase feed in the spring. Yet if /
winter them in good condition, GER
tainly would purchase feed than allow
them to begin to lose from now until the
pastures would make sufficient growth TO
furnish a quantity of feed that would
start them to growing again.
Generally, purchasing feed is expensive
in the spring; so it is expensive to allow
the stock m lnsa dow ipS Of
gain.
Then the stock should not be turned in
the pasture too early. The pastures are
often injured and with no CORES ponding
benefit to the stock. If you have sown a
good patch of rye in the fall, of course
this can be used much earlier than the
pastures. l like, especially with the
breeding stock, to G i've them something
green as early III the spring as possible;
but yet there is little or no benefit to be
derived from turning than into the pas
lures, when at best they are only able to
secure very small amount of food, and
that of a very watery description. And
the biting off of this tender young growth
retards the plant and delays the time
when the pastures will contain full sup
ply of green food.
Not that the change should be made all
at once-that is, keep the stock up and
feed upon dry food until there is sufficient
growth of grass in the pastures, and then
turn them in allow them to live upon
grass alone. Not By any means; make
the change gradual. | consider that the
stock should be allowed to run a week at
least feed with dry feed night and morn
ing, and only be allowed the run of the
pasture short time each day at first, IN
til they become somewhat accustomed to
it. A too sudden change from greeH food
to dry, or of dry food to green, very often
produces disease, and the safest plan is
to make each change gradual. Then,
stock that have been well sheltered all
winter should still be sheltered every
night, and on stormy days for some time
yet; the weather, especially when 1t rains,
will be cold and chilly, and stock that
have been properly sheltered all winter
viii feel the effects of such exposure,
often severely, and if they are properly
sheltered all this will be avoided. Later |
OF. as the weather becomes more settled, |
protection viii not be so necessary.